Points to Ponder

The title for this post "Points to Ponder" is inspired by an article of the same name in the Reader's Digest magazine featuring observations and questions that I loved reading growing up. This post has a collection of my own observations. It would be too full of hubris to say "my proverbs" or "my sayings", I am not King Solomon. I guess I could say that these are statements and rhetorical questions, serving the dual purpose of challenging me in my walk and testing them overtime to see if they hold true.

Ever notice, that those who describe the intolerance of others are themselves most intolerant of everyone except those that adhere to their own belief?

You can measure how intolerant someone is by the volume and frequency of the noise they make about the intolerance of others.

Ever notice that the scriptures that are doubted by default for their authenticity and accuracy are those that belong to the other belief, not your own?

Ever notice how the people who claim to be religious never dive deeper to satisfy themselves of the authenticity of their own belief?

Tradition creates so many layers over centuries that it almost always becomes the enemy of the truth it was intended to illustrate.

Culture like fashion changes over centuries, incorporating new ideas and creativity to the point where culture itself becomes a God that is worshiped.

Seek God, not the opinions of others about God on Twitter.

Seek truth, not the actions of others on social media.

Don’t judge God through flawed humans, judge humans through a perfect God who offers unmerited grace.

Courage is like a muscle that needs to be developed. The more you exercise it in increasing steps and adding weights in increasing measure, the stronger it grows.

Entertainment is the opioid of the masses. It comes in various rectangular formats and is available anytime, anywhere. It dulls and numbs humans who live to be entertained. Soon it might get inserted right into our brains. It keeps humans from seeking God and the truth.

My inability to hear does not limit God’s ability to communicate. The difference in those who hear God and those who don’t is a desperate desire to know God.

If you have never been forgiven before for the worst thing you ever did, then you will not know how to forgive anyone else who did the worst thing to you.

If you have been forgiven by God and tasted what it is really like to be absolved of guilt and to be swept clean, then you will be able to forgive those who have done their worst you.

The remedy for sin and guilt is the same for all humans globally just like an antidote is the same for a poison and a vaccine is the same for a virus, globally.

Just because something has been accepted as true for centuries does not mean it is true. A long time ago, certain people religiously believed that the earth is flat. They were wrong. Just because a scripture is most ancient does not mean its contents are the truth. Age of writing does not guarantee accuracy of the writing. Each person has to think using the evidence available in their time and not believe just because it is tradition or just because that is the only way it was done in their known four generations of ancestry.

Giving in to the body over the Spirit will numb and dull spiritual desire and lull you into a sleepy dream where the voice of God grows distant and fades. You can get lost in a fake wonderland ever so slowly and subtly. Before you realize, you are walking away from God or stagnating in a beautiful prison where all you see is the beauty not the bars.

Not everyone is in the line of duty to rescue and help, because most of the people actually need to themselves be rescued and helped. If God has placed one in backgrounds and families where one was not abused, unfairly treated, had basic needs fulfilled well then it is so that such must become the workers in the line of duty joining God's project plan to rescue and help those that have not been as safe or fortunate.

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For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. - Proverbs 2:6
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.- 1 Corinthians 1:27

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